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3 men fatally hit trying to cross Georgia freeway

The Associated Press

Updated:
07/01/2014 01:26:20 PM EDT

CHAMBLEE, Ga. (AP) — Three men who scaled a median and tried to cross about a dozen lanes of a metro Atlanta freeway were struck and killed by a pickup early Tuesday, snarling traffic into rush hour and puzzling police, who said they were unsure why the group made the risky move.

Moments after the 5 a.m. crash, two bodies could be seen on the pavement in the southbound lane of Interstate 85 just northeast of Atlanta. Commuters drove slowly past flashing lights, and all southbound lanes were closed for nearly two hours during the busy morning rush.

The men had entered the freeway from its eastern side, crossed about a half-dozen northbound lanes, and then scaled the median wall that separates northbound and southbound traffic, DeKalb County police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said. They were then struck as they tried to make it across all of the southbound lanes, she said.

The driver of the pickup stopped and remained at the scene, and no charges had been filed by late Tuesday morning. The identities of the three men hadn't been released.

Though it wasn't known why the men were trying to cross one of Georgia's busiest freeways, Parish said witnesses were able to give investigators some leads by late Tuesday morning.

Investigators were trying to learn where they had spent the morning as well as Monday night. But with all in the group dying, Parish said answers about why they entered the freeway might be elusive.

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